Munter hitch: Difference between revisions

The '''Münter hitch''', also known as the '''Italian hitch''', is a simple [[knot]], commonly used by climbers and cavers as part of a life-lining or belay system.

To climbers, this knot is also known as '''HMS''', the abbreviation for the German term ''Halbmastwurfsicherung'', meaning 'half hitch belay.' Therefore, carabiners used for this belaying technique are called HMS carabiners.  The name 'Munter hitch' is due to a Swiss mountain guide, Werner Munter, who popularised its use in mountaineering.

The hitch is simply a set of wraps using a rope or cord around an object, generally a round object like a pipe, pole or more commonly, a carabiner. Its main use is as a friction device for controlling the rate of descent in belay systems.

A belay system incorporating the Munter Hitch is the same as any other belay system, which incorporates a belayer to tend the rope and an anchor, which secures the belay system and belayer to the deck.